


When You're Going Through Hell, Keep Going

by ElijahDarling



Category: For the People (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Group therapy AU, Kate and Sandra meet in group therapy, Light Angst, Panic Attacks, Pre-Canon, they are all lawyers but don't meet the same way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-05 05:28:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16361732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElijahDarling/pseuds/ElijahDarling
Summary: "There’d been a women’s group near work, that met in the evenings. Allison had been the one to leave the therapist’s card on the kitchen table before she’d gone to bed, and Sandra felt so guilty about the hundred dollar shirt she’d ruined that she’d emailed an inquiry and within a month she’s leaving work at five in the afternoon instead of ten at night (but only on Wednesdays) to meet with five other women and share intimate details about her life."Sandra and Kate are in therapy.





	When You're Going Through Hell, Keep Going

**Author's Note:**

> Some of this is based on things I've dealt with, and some of this is based on things people I know have dealt with. Because projecting onto fictional characters is just another version of therapy, right? Cool.

Group therapy was sort of a last resort, really. When the panic attacks started happening daily instead of just after nightmares or in hospitals, and Allison had to break into their bathroom because Sandra shut down in the middle of taking a shower and hadn’t even finished shaving her legs. They’d laughed at that - Allison’s blouse soaked through and Sandra wrapped in a giant towel with one leg clean shaven and the other still furry. It had been nice to giggle at the picture they must of made. It had been nice to cry it out in Allison’s arms too, when she’d suddenly felt pathetic instead of comical. Two sides of the same coin, she supposed.

 

There’d been a women’s group near work, that met in the evenings. Allison had been the one to leave the therapist’s card on the kitchen table before she’d gone to bed, and Sandra felt so guilty about the hundred dollar shirt she’d ruined that she’d emailed an inquiry and within a month she’s leaving work at five in the afternoon instead of ten at night (but only on Wednesdays) to meet with five other women and share intimate details about her life.

 

She… fucking hates it. As it was, she felt like her emotions had already been at a constant boiling point, and sometimes it feels like going to group just sorta keeps them at that point - or worse, really. Like a pot overfull of water and pasta and then being handed a spoon to stir that mess because eventually enough stirring is going to keep it from bubbling over, but in the meantime you’re scalding your fingers and spilling water and some noodles keep escaping, and the smart thing to do seems like turning the stove off and walking away, but you invited company over and they expect dinner.

 

Sandra is not a fan of sharing.

 

She’s seemingly not alone in this, as there’s another woman (the only other lawyer) who also seems to be constantly watching the clock on the wall ticking down their two hours and is out the door like a shot when Sandra knows the rest of the ladies like to go to drinks afterward sometimes. It’s about fifty/fifty that Sandra will go with them instead of going back to work. Kate never goes.

 

The therapist never forces either of them to share, although one time when Amy confided in them that her husband had tried to sell her house without telling her, both Kate and Sandra had both nearly chomped at the bit in their rush to give legal advice and Sandra had told Allison later that it was strange to feel a kinship with a prosecutor. In that moment, it was clear they both wanted to wring this asshole’s goddamn neck.

 

After that, every so often Sandra will find her eyes meeting Kate’s when someone is sharing about their week. Little moments, another person to share outrage with; especially when the stories they are hearing get particularly gruesome. 

 

She runs into Kate on her way to lunch - at a sandwich cart near the therapist office where they meet weekly. Kate looks - tired. And then a little hunted once she spots Sandy.

 

Sandra waves, gives a little polite smile, and moves to go on her own way because god knows she would hate to run into someone outside of group, and she’s not going to ambush Kate. Strangely, Kate marches right over to her.

 

“I’m leaving the group.” Kate says, entirely unprompted. “That’s why I’m in the area. I’m meeting Karen and telling her I won’t be attending anymore.”

 

Sandra feels a sense of dread come over her, and can’t explain why - they aren’t friends, it’s not like they have a  _ bond _ .

 

“Oh.”

 

“Oh? What do you mean ‘oh’?”

 

“Just… oh. Thank you for telling me?” Now Kate looks angry. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

 

“I  _ never _ know what I want you to say, so that’s nothing new.” 

 

Sandra takes out her cellphone, quickly types out a text to her coworker that she’s taking a half day, and grabs Kate by the elbow. “C’mon, I have a bottle of wine at home and I’m not far from here.”

 

“Oh thank god.”

 

Kate misses her appointment with Karen, and ends up crashing in Allison’s bed. Allison (bless her) just shrugs and cuddles up to Sandra. 

 

“Care to share?” She asks. Sandra intertwines their fingers and shakes her head.

 

“Maybe eventually.”


End file.
